COVID-19 Pandemic and Child Cognitive Development?..."Unexpected Results"

Cognitive Ability Tests Actually Higher Than in 2016
Researchers Say “Careful and Long-Term Approach Needed”

A study has found that the decline in children's cognitive development and adaptive behavior, which was feared due to the COVID-19 pandemic era, did not appear significantly. However, the research team emphasized the need for long-term observation and study.

The research team at the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education conducted cognitive development tests (K-WPPSI-IV) and adaptive behavior tests (K-Vineland-2) on 100 infants aged 2 years and 100 children aged 5 years from September 22 to October 31 last year.

The study results were disclosed in the report "Developmental Status of Infants and Young Children Experiencing the COVID-19 Pandemic" (Choi Eun-young), published in the recent issue of the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education’s ‘Issue Paper’ on the 12th.

The cognitive development test evaluates language comprehension, visuospatial skills, working memory, and vocabulary acquisition by having children directly perform tasks. In the adaptive behavior test, caregivers participate to assess the child's communication, daily living skills, socialization, and motor skills.

The test results showed that the cognitive development scores for the 2-year-old and 5-year-old groups were 110.92 and 107.17 points, respectively, and the adaptive behavior scores were 105.66 and 107.70 points, all at average levels. For cognitive ability tests, these scores were actually 2 to 5 points higher than the average score of 105.97 from a 2016 Seoul area test.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The human brain weighs about 350 to 400 grams at birth, roughly one-quarter the size of an adult brain, but grows rapidly to about 1000 grams around the first birthday, with most brain development completed by age 5. The frontal lobe, responsible for emotional regulation and language functions, continues to grow through adolescence to adulthood, but most brain regions develop during infancy and early childhood.

Therefore, the results differ from expectations that social and cognitive development during infancy and early childhood would decline due to lack of interaction with other children during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced learning abilities such as language caused by mask-wearing.

This also contrasts with the results of a survey conducted last year by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The survey of 542 children aged 0 to 5 found that 33% (152 children) of infants and young children attending daycare centers required expert help due to developmental delays.

Researchers at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan also recently reported that children exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic showed developmental delays of 4.39 months at age 5 compared to children who were not exposed.

However, the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education research team emphasized, "We cannot conclude that the pandemic did not affect children's cognitive development based solely on these results."

The report explained, "We need to be more cautious and take a long-term approach when discussing the impact of the pandemic," adding, "Considering the gradual and long-term nature of infant and young child development, mid- to long-term follow-up studies are necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.